Easter Sunday 2011

So if you've read yesterday's post, you know that I went in for my IUI yesterday.  It was pretty uncomfortable, but tolerable.  Thank you for praying!  All your prayers were heard and they worked!  I made it through without crying - both yesterday and today =)

Yesterday's sperm sample didn't thaw very well.  Out of 42 million sperm, only 18 million survived the thaw and of those 18 million, not all were motile.  The specialists in the lab rate the motility of the sperm from twitching (which is hardly moving) to a 3+ which is a great, strong forward motion.  The sample yesterday after the sperm wash was rated "twitching - 2+" which is quite a wide variety.  The woman in the lab wasn't very excited about the quality of the sample yesterday but we went ahead and did the insemination. They also did an ultrasound before the insemination and tried to determine the cause of those crazy cramps I had Friday night.  They still saw a lot of follicles and when they measured them, they were measuring smaller than they were on Friday morning.  They also saw a lot of "free fluid" so they determined that ovulation hadn't happened yet, but was definitely starting. 

Since I hadn't ovulated yet, they decided to do back to back inseminations, so I went in this morning and did it again.  It's funny because each time, I explain to the nurse that will be doing the IUI that I am a difficult patient.  When I start to give them an explanation, both yesterday and today, 2 different nurses said  "I know, I've heard about you!"  Apparently I am the talk of the office with my impossible cervix and crazy female parts.  Apparently, I have quite the reputation around there!  Everyone is scared to try and do my IUI's because no one has ever had an easy time at it.  How wonderful for me (NOT!)

Anyway, today's sample was much better.  There were 50 million sperm rated at a 2+ motility after the wash so with a back to back IUIs both yesterday and today, combined with the potential 4 eggs making their way down my fallopian tubes to my uterus, wouldn't you think there would be a reason for hope and a higher chance of success? I think so.

I am so relieved that this chapter of my life is done.  I am happy to say that I will NEVER have to have one of these procedures again!  YIPPEE!!  Now the waiting begins.  On Tuesday, I begin taking the Endometrin (progesterone supplement) twice a day.  In 7 days I will go in for a blood test to check my progesterone levels. And 2 weeks from today, I will take a home pregnancy test.  So there you have it.  The hard part is done and now we wait. 

Thank you so much for your prayers, love and support.  Other than the strep throat and now a lovely head cold, this month has been much better than last month.  The IUI last month was terribly painful, almost more than I could tolerate and left me emotionally and physically devastated.  I almost wanted to give up then, as I couldn't imagine having to go through that again.  However, thanks to many answered prayers, this month was different.  The pain was manageable and I am feeling much more at peace emotionally.  Now begins the wait.  Please keep praying for us as we try to pass the time and keep our minds occupied the next 2 weeks.  I am really going to try and take it easy and just slow down the pace these next two weeks.  Being sick so often lately makes me think that I'm just trying to do too much, and I'm not giving my body a chance to truly rest and recuperate. While some people say waiting is the hardest part, I definitely don't agree.  While it's not fun and makes me a little anxious, waiting is definitely not the hardest part of this process!  For me, the hardest part is done.  Now, we can look forward and in 2 short weeks, we'll know with certainty if God's plan is to add another child to our family.